The
title of my April blog was, “Spring Has Sprung”. The warm spell in March caused plants to develop earlier
than usual which set them up for a cold whammy. So what happened to spring and will landscape plants
recover?
Some people blame global warming, others think
we are going back to the ice age.
Maybe the answer is, we live in Ohio, so relax and wait an hour or a day
and it will probably change.
Cold weather can cause all types of problems
for plants. Freezing temperatures
can damage plants by rupturing plant cells as ice crystals form and rapid
changes in temperatures occur.
Evergreen plants can suffer damage but they are the least damaged by
freezing spring weather.
The signs of cold damage can be confusing,
since some damage may not be evident until months later. Leave and tender shoots subjected to
freezing temperatures or chilling damage appear water-soaked and wilted. These tissues will usually turn black
within a few hours or days. The
tips of narrow-leaved evergreens, such as junipers, may turn uniformly brown.
The leading question in my mailbag is, “Will my
plants recover?” People are asking
about sad looking bleeding hearts, late and patchy flowers or shrubs and trees
(leaves that have dried out or have holes), hostas, ferns and other perennials.
Do
not be in a hurry to prune or remove your damaged plants. Some plants may appear dead, but they
are not. Corrective pruning should
not be started until the full extent of the damage can be determined.
The
extend of plant damage is dependent on several factors. These factors include temperature,
plant species, exposure, and stage of plant growth.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of freezing damage include shriveling
and browning or blackening of damaged tissue, Damaged growth often becomes limp. Eventually, damaged or destroyed leaved may drop from the
tree or shrub.
Once you have determined the extend of damage,
remove any dead wood. There is
very little that can be done to revive plants suffering from the extreme
effects of freezing. Watering
cold-damaged plants that appear wilted will not help to revive them.
Prognosis:
Fortunately,
trees and shrubs have the ability to leaf out again if the initial growth is
damaged or destroyed. Healthy,
well established trees and shrubs should not be greatly impacted and will
produce additional growth. Trees
and shrubs planted within the past three to five years may benefit from a light
application of fertilizer and periodic watering during dry weather.
The prognosis for freeze-damaged perennials is
also good. While the freezing
temperatures damaged the perennial’s foliage, their crowns and roots were not
harmed. Damaged perennials will send up new growth.
Once you start seeing new growth, simply remove
the dead stuff. You may wish to
shape your shrubs a bit when you do this, and some soft-wooded shrubby
perennials might look best cut back fairly close to the ground. Look on the bright side – you probably
needed to cut some of your plants back anyway, and with a bit of fertilizer
your garden should be looking pretty good again in a month or so.
Don’t get caught up in the catch-up
“frenzy”. Remember that impatiens,
million bells, petunias and tomatoes should not be planted until after
the last chance of frost.
TOM’S TIPS FOR MAY GARDENING
• Mow lawns regularly to keep grass at 2 ½ inch
height.
• Aerate and moisten compost pile to speed
decomposition.
• Deadhead
bulbs but allow foliage to remain until yellow to nourish bulbs for next year’s
display.
• As night temperatures moderate into the 60’s,
move houseplants outdoors (avoid full sun and windy locations.)
• Plant vegetables in different locations than
last year. This will keep your
garden healthier.
• Fertilize lawns in May (leaving grass clippings
on the lawn can reduce the need to fertilize.)
• Continue to prune all plant material to remove
any diseased, dead, weak or crossing branches.
• Prune early spring flowering
shrubs after blooming.
